The Good Wife Review: "Getting Off"
Now this case really fit the circumstances surrounding Alicia's personal life.
Last week on The Good Wife, I couldn't find even a distant connection. This week - wow. I'm not even sure if the title "Getting Off" was a blatant referral to the case or had some a innocent connotation that I didn't connect.
Putting Alicia on first chair solely because her husband cheated on her, and telling her this as she sat facing Kalinda, was so uncomfortable.
There was no winning side to the week's case, as none of the parties involved gave any reason to feel for them.
They consisted of a woman who cheated and ran a website to help fellow cheaters (because she thought her husband didn't care) and a woman who refused to believe her dead husband was willfully cheating on her, in spite of the fact he had created a profile on an adultery site. Not a lot of intelligence being bandied about in the court room.
Mamie Gummer was back as the hard to swallow Nancy Crozier, opposing counsel.
She obviously studied law and theater simultaneously in college, because she is incapable of representing a client without a flair for the dramatic. At least she provided some ridiculous light moments to an otherwise disturbing civil case.
Everything that was happening with both Alicia and Kalinda had me saying "oh no, oh no" again and again during the show. Every action and reaction seemed to have such dire consequences.
As I suspected would happen, Alicia showed more emotion when she confronted Kalinda than when she did Peter. It was troubling how she closed the door on Kalinda, telling her there was nothing to say after she slept with her husband. Just nothing. To see two of my favorite women in such pain wasn't fun to watch.
I have absolutely no love for Jackie Florrick, but I never imagined her to be evil. Inserting herself into Peter and Alicia's life was bad enough. To use the children was horrific. Kudos to them for shutting her down, but she planted a seed that blossomed anyway.
Kelli Giddish as Sophia, was an interesting choice for Kalinda's potential new boss. I liked her on Chase, so I'm glad she is still getting interesting roles. Alicia told Will the Florricks were separated, but even after giving her notice, she still didn't share her secret with him.
I loved how shaken up Alicia was when she was talking to Stephanie, and realized that although she was married, she knew she had feelings for someone outside of her marriage - Will. It was a telling moment and one I hope will stay with her as she decides who will remain inside her circle.
The final confrontation between Alicia and Kalinda opened a door I never new existed. When did Alicia ask her if she ever slept with Peter? I did not recall that, and it changed my feelings toward Kalinda.
I blamed Peter more than Kalinda in the whole mess, strictly based upon the fact that Peter lied when Alicia asked him if he was hiding anything else. If she asked Kalinda and she lied, as well, then there is little difference between them.
That was a very difficult realization for me. Even worse, Alicia shut her down, and Kalinda closed up. She's lost the emotion she had embraced as Alicia's friend because Alicia wouldn't hear her out.
There was that one quick moment when Alicia said she felt like a fool for thinking Kalinda was really her friend, when all the while Kalinda was only doing it to save herself. Kalinda tried to refute that belief, but it didn't take.
I still believe Alicia will crumble, hear Kalinda out and forgive her. But it will be doubly hard now that Kalinda has put up her shield.
She said she doesn't like to feel bad, and she seems to close out anything that makes her feel that way. I do not like them at odds. Their relationship brings such light to the show that I can hardly imagine what it will be like to watch without their growing intimacy.
What have you thought about Alicia's actions as she dealt with both Peter and Kalinda? I think the best confrontation so far with with Jackie. She doesn't care about their relationship, so it seemed easier for her to throw her thoughts out there with very little emotion. Her apprehension at losing either Peter or Kalinda made those encounters far more intense.
I wonder what the finale will hold, and my fingers are crossed that the three year contract Alan Cumming recently received is indicative of a third season pickup.
Share your thoughts in the comments!
Carissa Pavlica is a staff writer for TV Fanatic. Follow her on Twitter and on Google+.
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January 29th, 2013 11:14 AM
I find the show is getting further and further away wholesome and closer to sinful. No regret after her affair. Now she says she is an atheist. No wonder she doesn't want her child to have faith. that was the straw for me. Im done with it.
January 29th, 2013 11:10 AM
i have watched the good wife since it started and have always thought the story lines were great. If you are going to prompt atheists then I will not watch the show. I am tired of atheists pushing their beliefs on everyone. Forcing Christians to remove anything that has to do with religion. I had prayer when I was in school and no one was ever forced to pray so why do atheists force their belief on me. Keep it to yourself atheists. You don't want to believe fine but don't take force your beliefs on me. Don't take away Christ from Christmas when that is why Christmas happened. Keep to your beliefs yourself as the rest of us. STOP trying to take away what I believe. Amen and May God Bless you !!!!
September 27th, 2011 4:08 PM
I don't like Alicia this season either. She has always been rude to Jackie though, and to others she has seen fit to be rude to. She has not been all that meek a character since the beginning, as others seem to think she was in taking Peter back. "The Good Wife" has always been kind of a misnomer, as far as her character. She is as career driven as Peter, has always put it before her kids, and jumps down Jackie's throat when Jackie is the one always there for her and the kids. People who can't see through their Alicia gazing rose colored glasses to see what kind of character she has always been need to wake up. That is why the "good wife" title has always been a misnomer. She has never been that actually. If she does get a divorce and isn't anyone's wife anymore, the wife word in the title doesn't belong there. I think she may be in for an eye opening experience where Will is concerend that will change her opinion and feelings for him.
I may not continue to be glued to thi
September 22nd, 2011 7:01 PM
I have to admit that I strongly disliked, maybe even despised, Alicia a little bit, for how absolutely brutally harsh she was towards Jackie. Yes, Jackie is unpleasant, tries to be manipulative, sucks towards Alicia... Find me one mother-in-law who ISN'T like that and I'll eat every hat I can find! Maybe it's the conservative Indian in me coming out, but I thought it was absolutely unnecessary for Alicia to be quite so vindictive towards Jackie. To me, it felt like she was taking her anger and spite on Jackie, rather than Kalinda and Peter, and taking vindictive pleasure in it as well. Say what you will, Jackie does seem to care about her grandchildren, even if she does have prejudices.
As for Peter, I don't know. I thought Peter an absolute tool for what he did and what he put Alicia through. What I will say for him is that he did try to make things work with Alicia, which is more than can be said for her. I don't understand, nor appreciate, how she didn't try making it work with h
May 16th, 2011 12:55 PM
Hey gang don't count your chickens yet CBS hasn't made any announcements regarding who will be back next season. I have seen far more shows wiped out for a number of reasons that didn't make sense but the future and plenty of shows in the wings to take their places. Fingers crossed.
May 15th, 2011 12:02 PM
Hello everybody I’m a first time commenter but a long time reader.
TGW is my favorite show these days, hope they will have a third season.
First of all, I’m increasingly tired of love triangles: they are obvious and more often than not, to be interesting they can never be resolved. Team “this” or “that” is very popular, but it’s also old news and this show is brilliant in other aspects, I don’t see why we shouldn't expect greatness in handling love story lines.
Alicia and Will are going-to-dO-IT? One night stand, rebound, life partner or friends forever? Go for it, as long as this cliche triangle is over it’s fine by me, at least we will see the writers explore new emotional possibilities.
First season was a blast: complex and interesting women portraits (Alicia, Diane, Kalinda, Jackie), men equally interesting and challenging on the side.
Different background, different ages (Alicia competing with Cary) there were a number of things to follow. The legal as
May 14th, 2011 5:59 AM
As much as I hate Kalinda and Alicia being at odds it's that uncomfortable and very tangible kind of hurt that happens in real life. People are saying Alicia shouldn't be mad because it happened before her and Kalinda were friends. The bottom line is in real life you would be mad. That's part of the beauty of this show is that it's real. It can be gut wrenching and great all with in 5 minutes time. I can't help but root for Will and Alicia- even thought I actually still like Peter. It's confusing, just like life.
May 13th, 2011 7:15 PM
See you on the food channel next season john.
Rank: Guest Star
May 13th, 2011 4:56 AM
"The ratings have been slipping downward for several weeks"
Why do people keep repeating bogus gossip like this? And who starts these rumors? Rival networks?? According to the numbers, TGW has actually been doing better than ever the last couple of episodes. There are lots of new people who have just discovered the show lately, who had been put off earlier by its ironic title (which many people STILL don't seem to understand), but who now are realizing what a great show it is.
If CBS cancels a critically acclaimed, award-winning show, whose popularity has really been taking off lately, then they shouldn't be surprised if the "numbers" they end up getting for whatever crappy replacement they come up with are a lot lower. They never seem to learn -- which is why many people like me rarely watch network TV at all.
May 12th, 2011 7:54 PM
My vote is cancel the show now, if it goes on people will drift away and the network will just pull it off anyway. The ratings have been slipping downward for several weeks and CBS is looking to cancel two shows in this one is one of the junior shows.
Another season would be a complete changed format that would not be within the title of the show, and probably would end up being a nasty fight by the SA office against everything L&G AND Alicia does. This kind of storyline would turn people off and lose valuable commerical backup which the network needs to continue or be forced to shut down.